November 9, 2011 Corps, Navy each plan to spend $1B on projects here in 2012-13 By BENJAMIN MINNICK Journal Construction Editor Image courtesy of NAVFAC Northwest [enlarge] The biggest project in the Northwest will be a second explosives handling wharf at Bangor, valued at $700 million. Is there more competition for federal construction jobs? Attendance at last week's Associated General Contractors of Washington's annual forecast of federal projects suggests the answer is yes. A record 171 contractors attended this year compared with 121 last year. Representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Navy presented their projects, and each has nearly $1 billion in the pipeline for the next two years. Noticeably absent was the U.S. General Services Administration, which has no projects in the pipeline. NAVFAC Bill Galloway, chief engineer and capital improvements business line coordinator for NAVFAC Northwest, said the Navy has six projects proposed for fiscal year 2012, which started Oct. 1, and they are valued at more than $800 million. Most of that is Explosives Handling Wharf No. 2 at Bangor, a $700 million job that would be incrementally funded over four years. Galloway said the plan is to start sometime next year and build it over several years.
Other work at Bangor includes the wharf security facility, a project valued up to $30 million, and waterfront vehicle barriers for restricted areas, valued up to $20 million. Other 2012 projects are: a $30 million fuel line replacement at Whidbey Island; the $15 million first phase of a dry dock water treatment facility in Bremerton; and a $20 million cold weather maritime training facility in Kodiak, Alaska. Another $5 million could be spent in 2012 on the Navy's unspecified minor construction program and $50 million on special projects. The minor construction program has three projects: a $2 million range operations/emergency medical facility in Boardman, Ore., $2 million nuclear work facility at Bremerton and $1 million renovation of the lower base fire station at Bangor. The special projects program has five jobs: a $20 million renovation of bachelors' enlisted quarters on Whidbey Island, $10 million renovation of bachelors' enlisted quarters at Bremerton, $10 million for caisson repairs at Bremerton, $5 million for ammunition pier pile repairs at Bangor and $5 million for energy conservation in six buildings on Indian Island. The Navy has three projects slated for 2013 totaling about $85 million. The largest is a $60 million water fence at Bangor, and the next largest is a $15 million lab expansion, also at Bangor. The third project is a $10 million flight simulator on Whidbey Island. Galloway cautioned that Congress has yet to approve any of the projects for 2012 or 2013. Corps of Engineers Anil Nisargand, chief of specifications and technical review in the Engineering Division of the corps' Seattle District, said most of the work is at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The Seattle District signed more than $350 million in construction contracts for fiscal year 2011 that ended Sept. 30, including about $284 million in work at JBLM. District-wide, about $450 million in projects are planned for 2012 and a similar amount for 2013. Nisargand said about $308 million in projects are planned next year at JBLM, and $400 million in 2013. The 2012 projects at JBLM are: $40 million-$50 million second phase parking apron for the air cavalry squadron. The 94,000- square-foot rotary wing parking apron will probably bid next August. $25 million-$50 million barracks for 185 people that will be 67,000 square feet. Contractors are already lined up under the multiple-award task order contracts (MATOC) process, with a bid advertisement in March. $20 million-$25 million for two tactical equipment maintenance facilities, advertising in January under the MATOC process.
$15 million-$20 million design-build company operations facility for special operations forces. It includes a two-company operations facility, 7,500-square-foot administration module, 13,000-square-foot readiness module and a 26,000-square-foot general purpose administration facility. A bid advertisement is expected in February. $15 million-$20 million operational readiness training complex barracks will go out for bids in January. It will be a four-story, 61,000-square-foot barracks. $15 million-$20 million for roads and water lines, a design-build MATOC contract expected to advertise in April. $10 million-$15 million design-build dining hall. A contractor for the 20,000-square-foot project has already been selected under the single-award task order contracts process. $10 million-$15 million design-build access control point project. Includes entry and exit lane pavement, identification check islands, turnarounds, vehicle barriers, gate house and guard booths. This is a MATOC project with an expected ad date in August. $10 million-$15 million 144-person barracks. The 52,000-square-foot project is expected to advertise in March under MATOC. $10 million-$15 million tactical equipment maintenance facility of 35,000 square feet. The MATOC contract is expected to advertise in April. $10 million-$15 million company operations facility totaling 44,000 square feet. The MATOC contract is expected to advertise in April. $10 million-$15 million fuel distribution facility replacement; already out for proposals to select contractors. $5 million-$10 million in electrical upgrades, including conversion of up to five miles of overhead power lines to underground. The design-build MATOC project will advertise in April. $5 million-$10 million for three 1.5 million-gallon water tanks, a pump system and wells. The design-build MATOC project will advertise in June or July. $5 million-$10 million administration building for the air operations support squadron. The 16,000-square-foot building is using the MATOC process, and bids will be advertised in January. $5 million-$10 million battalion headquarters, a 36,000-square-foot building advertising under MATOC in June. $5 million-$10 million for the 14th Street infrastructure and expansion. An advertisement date is set for next May. $5 million-$10 million joint access between the two bases. The project includes an overpass at a railroad crossing. Bids will be advertised in June under MATOC.
$5 million-$10 million battalion headquarters, a 16,400-square-foot building advertising in April under MATOC. $1 million-$5 million for roads and water lines in the Miller Hill area, a MATOC project with an August advertisement date. $1 million-$5 million sniper field firing range in Yakima, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business project under MATOC that will advertise in January. The Army also has two projects bidding this month at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane: a $10 million-$15 million, 35,000-square-foot second phase of the SERE headquarters; and a $10 million-$15 million wing headquarters, which involves demolishing a building and constructing a new 27,000-square-foot headquarters. The SERE program trains in survival, evasion, resistance and escape. Nisargand said there are another $30 million in projects that are non-military, such as $5 million in repairs to Seahurst Park in Burien and $5 million worth of dredging and navigation work in Western Washington. Nearly all of the 2013 projects don't have advertisement dates yet, according to Nisargand. The 2013 projects at JBLM are: $75 million-$100 million wastewater treatment plant. $70 million-$90 million fifth phase of the brigade complex, which includes a 118-person barracks, 36,000-square-foot battalion headquarters, four-company operations facility and a tactical equipment maintenance facility. $50 million-$70 million third phase of the brigade combat team complex, which includes a 300-person barracks, two tactical equipment maintenance facilities, 10-company operations facility, roads and infrastructure. $50 million-$70 million third phase of the battalion complex, which includes a 324-person barracks, 37,000-square-foot headquarters building, 27,000-square-foot dining hall, roads and infrastructure. $40 million-$50 million sustainment brigade complex consisting of a 200-person barracks and 31,000-square-foot brigade headquarters. $40 million-$50 million special operations forces battalion facility. $25 million-$50 million information operations readiness center for the Army National Guard; a 127,000-square-foot building with an expected bid advertisement in September 2012. $1 million-$5 million firing range in Yakima. Other projects on the 2013 list are:
$20 million-$25 million civil engineering complex at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, a design-build project expected to advertise in September 2012. $5 million-$10 million north and south gate controls at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, with a bid advertisement date in June 2012. GSA Rick Thomas of the U.S. General Services Administration has presented at the AGC event for several years, but didn't this time because there are no projects in GSA's pipeline for 2012 and 2013, he said in a phone interview. GSA is finishing three recovery act projects in late 2012 and a fourth in 2013. The projects finishing next year are the $70 million Federal Center South redevelopment of a Seattle warehouse into a green office building; major mechanical and electrical system upgrades to the Jackson Federal Building in Seattle; and renovations to the Foley Federal Building/Courthouse in Spokane. The project finishing in 2013 is the $139 million Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, a modernization of a Portland high-rise. Thomas said GSA's Region 10 has an ongoing building maintenance program which will amount to about $10 million this year. Benjamin Minnick can be reached by email or by phone at (206) 622-8272. Copyright 2011 Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce